diff --git a/images/splash.png b/images/splash.png
index 72952bb2dba42805edec69615ee8ec849503118e..4cfe6a704302eba060ab59c01b9226ed1383db3f 100644
Binary files a/images/splash.png and b/images/splash.png differ
diff --git a/src/QGCCore.cc b/src/QGCCore.cc
index fa047198e25de952bbcd2c62894900dcaa3712ad..552e2368a8e90699066ab28f2bf2f24d1dddefea 100644
--- a/src/QGCCore.cc
+++ b/src/QGCCore.cc
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ QGCCore::QGCCore(int &argc, char* argv[]) : QApplication(argc, argv)
     // Delete splash screen after mainWindow was displayed
     splashScreen->setAttribute(Qt::WA_DeleteOnClose);
     splashScreen->show();
+    processEvents();
     splashScreen->showMessage(tr("Loading application fonts"), Qt::AlignLeft | Qt::AlignBottom, QColor(62, 93, 141));
 
     // Exit main application when last window is closed
@@ -159,7 +160,7 @@ QGCCore::QGCCore(int &argc, char* argv[]) : QApplication(argc, argv)
     simulationLink->disconnect();
     //mainWindow->addLink(simulationLink);
 
-    mainWindow = MainWindow::instance();
+    mainWindow = MainWindow::instance(splashScreen);
 
     // Remove splash screen
     splashScreen->finish(mainWindow);
diff --git a/src/ui/MainWindow.cc b/src/ui/MainWindow.cc
index c2d7f2a49f507b042dd8b18a5a2c9a94061892c7..409f1613ec5da86a2b657bf6ae272fefb4854be6 100644
--- a/src/ui/MainWindow.cc
+++ b/src/ui/MainWindow.cc
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ This file is part of the QGROUNDCONTROL project
 #include <QDebug>
 #include <QTimer>
 #include <QHostInfo>
+#include <QSplashScreen>
 
 #include "QGC.h"
 #include "MAVLinkSimulationLink.h"
@@ -62,12 +63,13 @@ This file is part of the QGROUNDCONTROL project
 
 #include "LogCompressor.h"
 
-MainWindow* MainWindow::instance()
+MainWindow* MainWindow::instance(QSplashScreen* screen)
 {
     static MainWindow* _instance = 0;
     if(_instance == 0)
     {
         _instance = new MainWindow();
+        if (screen) connect(_instance, SIGNAL(initStatusChanged(QString)), screen, SLOT(showMessage(QString)));
 
         /* Set the application as parent to ensure that this object
                  * will be destroyed when the main application exits */
@@ -94,6 +96,8 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent):
     centerStackActionGroup(this),
     lowPowerMode(false)
 {
+    hide();
+    emit initStatusChanged("Loading UI Settings..");
     loadSettings();
     if (!settings.contains("CURRENT_VIEW"))
     {
@@ -115,10 +119,14 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent):
 
     settings.sync();
 
+    emit initStatusChanged("Loading Style.");
     loadStyle(currentStyle);
 
+    emit initStatusChanged("Setting up user interface.");
+
     // Setup user interface
     ui.setupUi(this);
+    hide();
 
     // Set dock options
     setDockOptions(AnimatedDocks | AllowTabbedDocks | AllowNestedDocks);
@@ -143,13 +151,18 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent):
     toolBar->addPerspectiveChangeAction(ui.actionEngineersView);
     toolBar->addPerspectiveChangeAction(ui.actionPilotsView);
 
+    emit initStatusChanged("Building common widgets.");
+
     buildCommonWidgets();
     connectCommonWidgets();
 
+    emit initStatusChanged("Building common actions.");
+
     // Create actions
     connectCommonActions();
 
     // Populate link menu
+    emit initStatusChanged("Populating link menu");
     QList<LinkInterface*> links = LinkManager::instance()->getLinks();
     foreach(LinkInterface* link, links)
     {
@@ -159,6 +172,7 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent):
     connect(LinkManager::instance(), SIGNAL(newLink(LinkInterface*)), this, SLOT(addLink(LinkInterface*)));
 
     // Connect user interface devices
+    emit initStatusChanged("Initializing joystick interface.");
     joystickWidget = 0;
     joystick = new JoystickInput();
 
@@ -178,9 +192,12 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent):
     // Initialize window state
     windowStateVal = windowState();
 
+    emit initStatusChanged("Restoring last view state.");
+
     // Restore the window setup
     loadViewState();
 
+    emit initStatusChanged("Restoring last window size.");
     // Restore the window position and size
     if (settings.contains(getWindowGeometryKey()))
     {
@@ -208,6 +225,8 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent):
 
     connect(&windowNameUpdateTimer, SIGNAL(timeout()), this, SLOT(configureWindowName()));
     windowNameUpdateTimer.start(15000);
+    emit initStatusChanged("Done.");
+    show();
 }
 
 MainWindow::~MainWindow()
diff --git a/src/ui/MainWindow.h b/src/ui/MainWindow.h
index f2226205c5545853ddfc233cee2cb8a33dd9780e..f401fb4195fe2d2f90e4b62310cf2d13cb2d33cc 100644
--- a/src/ui/MainWindow.h
+++ b/src/ui/MainWindow.h
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ This file is part of the QGROUNDCONTROL project
 #include "MAVLinkDecoder.h"
 
 class QGCMapTool;
+class QSplashScreen;
 
 /**
  * @brief Main Application Window
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ class MainWindow : public QMainWindow
     Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
-    static MainWindow* instance();
+    static MainWindow* instance(QSplashScreen* screen = 0);
     ~MainWindow();
 
     enum QGC_MAINWINDOW_STYLE {
@@ -216,6 +217,9 @@ public slots:
     /** @brief Update the window name */
     void configureWindowName();
 
+signals:
+    void initStatusChanged(const QString& message);
+
 public:
     QGCMAVLinkLogPlayer* getLogPlayer()
     {